Actor Varun Dhawan on Tuesday responded to allegations by a social media influencer claiming that fake reviews were being solicited for the teaser of his film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, sparking an online exchange that has since drawn attention.

The controversy began after Delhi-based influencer Simran Bhat shared a reel on Tuesday, describing an encounter at Rajiv Chowk Metro. In the video, she alleged that two individuals approached her and her friend, asking them to record a review for the film's teaser, which was released earlier this week.

According to her account, she declined, stating she had not watched the teaser. She further claimed that the individuals insisted and even offered to guide her on what to say, prompting her to question the authenticity of such endorsements. Expressing her disbelief, she said, "Bhai, Varun Dhawan ke itne bure din aagaye kya ki usko fake reviews lene pad rahe hai? What the hell? (Bro, have Varun Dhawan's days really gotten so bad that he has to resort to getting fake reviews? What the hell?)"

Dhawan soon reacted to the post in the comments section. "Hope you get the views you really want with this video (sic)," he wrote, appearing to dismiss the allegation. The remark prompted a response from the influencer, who maintained that she did not rely on such tactics to gain visibility.

She later shared screenshots of the exchange on her Instagram Stories, urging the actor to verify the matter with his team. She also referred to another comment, allegedly deleted, which read, "First of all ma'am, you've convinced yourself that someone approached you because I sent them, all for views (sic)." Questioning its removal, she added, "Woh sab theek hai, lekin aapne comment delete kyun kiya? (All that's fine, but why did you delete the comment?"